According to data from Infarmed revealed by Jornal de Notícias (JN), the costs of these drugs soared between 2019 and last year. In 2024, these drugs – dispensed in pharmacies and with reimbursement – ​​cost more than 417 million euros.

Some of these drugs have been embroiled in controversy, as they are also used for weight loss, which led to an increase in demand that caused diabetic patients to report several stockouts in pharmacies.

When asked about the increase in SNS spending on these medications, the minister said it was essential to resume “something that has been left behind in recent years,” which are clinical guidelines, which she considered to have been “secondary” in recent years.

“The way to ensure that each person, in the area of ​​diabetes or in any other area, (…) has the medication they need for their condition is to have clinical guidelines,” she said, noting that these are not binding: “The doctor has the freedom to prescribe, but they are auditable,” she said.

The minister said that this way it is possible to ensure equity in treatment, “not only in terms of access but also in terms of quality.”

“In 2012, 2013, 2014 and even 2015, we worked very hard on clinical guidelines. And then, over time, they became, I won’t say non-existent, because they exist, but they were secondary,” she added.

The minister also pointed out the creation of a National Clinical Guidelines Commission, which brings together specialists in various areas and helps ensure that public resources are not used inappropriately.

“This is not a situation of restriction, it is a situation of personalizing the treatment that each patient needs. And diabetes is one of the five conditions that will be on the table in these first clinical guidelines,” she said.